US evaluating the situation in Syria: John Kerry

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State John Kerry has said the Obama Administration is currently evaluating the situation in Syria and mulling over steps to be taken to deal with the violence there.

"There is too much killing (and) violence, and we obviously want to try to find a way forward," Kerry said, asserting that the US administration is "deeply distressed" with the happenings in Syria.

Kerry was addressing a joint press conference with the visiting Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird yesterday.

"We're taking a look at what steps, if any, diplomatic, particularly, might be able to be taken in an effort to try to reduce that violence and deal with the situation. And when we are prepared, we will let you know. We're going to evaluate this as we go forward," Kerry said.

"There are serious questions about al-Nusra and AQI, al-Qaeda from Iraq, coming in and other violent groups on the ground. It is a very complicated and dangerous situation, and everybody understands it is a place that has chemical weapons, and we are deeply concerned about that," he said.

Baird, in his address, said he held discussions with his US counterpart over the issue of Syria.

"The concern of all of civilised humanity, the terrible horrors going on that Assad is waging against his own people and the huge challenge and problem of chemical weapons," he said.